Automobile-signal.



...w 9 .l n. 2 V. o N D E .h E V E 0 H T. A. & VI A R G L F.-

Pam tea Aug. '29,1916

"'Q /1/111111 y A" la 6 l 'Il EDWIN T. GRAY AND ALFRED T. HOE'VET, 0FNEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMOBILE-SIGNAL. l

Macnee.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led August 13, 1914, Serial No. 856,662. Renewed November29, 1915. Serial No. 64,199.

an improved and simplified illuminated signal by means of Which anintention to stop or turn to either right or left can be indicatedsimultaneously -atthe front and rear and at a point pproximately on thelevel with the eye at the side of the vehicle. A further object is toprovide a combined signal box and head light.

Other objects will tion proceeds.

The invention will be first hereinafter described in connection with theaccomappear as the vdescrippanying drawings, which constitute a part ofthis specification, and then more specifically defined in the claims atthe end of the description.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters areused to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a signal box constructed in accordancewith the present invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal Vertical sectionalview showing the lamps in the several compartments diagrammatically.Fig. 3 is a plan view of the signal box. Fig. 4 isa transverse sectiontaken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2,

'and Fig. 5 is a similar View of a modified form of signal box.

lOne. of the signal boxes illustrated is designed to be attached to eachside of an automobile or other vehicle and used in connection with arear or 'tail signal box illustrated and described in our pendingapplication Serial No. 831,826, filed April 14, 1914.

The present invention relates simply to the side signal boxesillustrated herein, the

rearfisignal box being specifically covered iny another applicationl ofeven, date herewith Serial Number 856,663.

Each of the signal boxes A is divided into four compartments 11, 12, 13and 14. The

. ments.

upper and lower compartments 11 and 12, respectively, are separated bythe left and right compartments13 and 14, and also by a centralcompartment 15 for the distribution of the electric wiring (not shown)to. the lamps y1n the several signal compart- Each of the compartments13 and 14 has its end wall extended and pointed,

as ata-16, and the ends of the upper and lower compartments are roundedso as to give to said left and right compartments 13 and 14 the shape ofarrows pointing respectively to the left and right.

Both front and rear faces of the compartment 1 4 are covered with redglass or other.

transparent material 17, while the` corre-v sponding faces of thecompartment 13 have green panes 18, and in order to make the arrowsstand outv more distinctly, they are edged by olea/1` or ground whiteglass borders 19, Figs. 1 and 2. As illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4,inclusive, the bottom compartment 12 is also faced with red glass orother suitable transparent material 20 onv both the front and rearfaces. The top compart- `ment 11 is covered on both front and rear facesalike with opaque material 21. having vclear red letters 22 spelling theword Stop lt will thus be seen that the signal box will Patented augeo,raie.

appear exactly the same from both front and rear, so that all signalsashed therefrom will be seen by pedestrians and occupants of vehicles inboth directions.

Each of the signal boxes may have lugs 23 cast thereon or otherwisesecured thereto, and clamps 24 attached to said lugs are used tofasten'the box topa part of the frame ofthe vehicle, as at 25,forinstance, the frame of the wind shield. One member 242L of the vclampis secured tothe lug 23 in the preferred form shown, while the othermember 241 is separate from the llug and adjustably secured to themember 24aL by a b olt 24c headed at one end and carrying a winged nut24r1 at its other end, as illustra-ted in Figs. 1 and 3.

A suitable lamp is arranged in each of the signal compartmentsv of thebox. As illustrated diagrammatically. in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, electriclamps are preferably used. The lamp in the upper compartment 11 isdesignatedl 26, and the lamp in the lower compartment is indicated at27. The lamps in the left and right compartments are designated 28 and29, respectively. Suitable means (not shown) may be provided forseparately Switching on the several lamps,

as will be readily understood.

In operation, the lamp 27 is kept constantlyburning so that it servesas'a danger 5 signal 1n conjunction with the red panes 20 lat the frontand` rear faces of the lower compartment 12. The lamps in the otherthree compartments are normally out and are adapted to be separatelyswitched on at will. lVhen a turn to the right is to be made,

the lamp 29vin the right hand compartment 11 is turned on, therebyilluminating the arrow-shaped red panes 17 in the front and rear facesof said compartments. `Inasmuch as these panes17 point)y to the right,

they will indicate to pedestrians, policemen and all other personseither in front or rear ofthe vehicle that a turn to the right isintended. The white glass border 19 around 20 the arrow-shaped coloredpanes make the latter stand out distinctly for a considerable distance.In a similar manner, the switching on of the lamp 28 in the left handcompartment 13 will illuminate the green arrow` shaped panes 18 andindicate an intended turn to the left. lVhen the vehicle is to bestopped, the lamp 26 in the upper compartment 11 is switched on, therebyilluminating the word Stop in the panes 21 at the 30 front and rearfaces of said compartment.

In Fig. 5, a modified form of signal box A is illustrated which,however, di'ers only from the-box already described in the con:struction of the lower compartment. In

this instance, the lower compartment is divided longitudinally by avertical partition 30 into front and 4rear compartments 12a and 12brespectively. This partition maybe inthe nature of a reiiector on one orboth 40 sides. A'lamp 27a is arranged in the front' compartment 12a anda lamp 27b in the rear compartment 12b.' The front compartment (12a isprovided with a clear white glass pane 20a, so that the lamp 27a servesas a head light. The pane 2Ob of the rear compartment` the lamp 27bserves as a forms no part of the present invention, be-

ing covered in our earlier application above referred to.

It will be notedthat the arrangement of the signal boxes "at the sidesof the vehicle as we contemplate places them about on a level with theeye, so that they can be distinguished much more readily than the tailsignal boxes heretofore used. The arrange ment of the boxes so that theyproject at the sides of the vehicle, and the provision of similar signalpanes in the front and rear of each signal compartment also constituteimportant improvements in signals of 'this kind, as will be readilyappreciated, each signal being simultaneously flashed to the r front andrear. While the distinctive colors of the arrow-shaped panes help todesignate the direction in which a turn is to be made, the shape of saidpanes with the arrows pointing in the opposite directions unmis takablyindicate such intended movements of the vehicle. i

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A signal box forvehicles having a plurality of compartments with colored panes, two ofsaid panes being shaped like arrows and having clear borders for thepurpose specified, said arrows pointing in opposite directions, andlamps in said compartments adapted to be separately turned on for thepurpose specified.

2. A signal box for vehicles having a plurality of compartmentsincluding upper and lower compartments generally elliptical in form withrounded ends, and right and left compartments having" straight portionsarranged between said upper and lower compartments and pointedprojections extending outwardly from the rounded .ends of said upper andlower compartments, whereby said right and left compartments are givenAvan arrow-shape, panes in saidrcompartments and lamps therein adaptedtoybe eparately turned on for the purpose speci- In testimonyT whereofwe have signed our names to this specification in the presence of twoattesting witnesses.

EDWIN T. GRAY. ALFRED T. HOEVET.

Witnesses:

HENRY J. MrrrAe, E. STEUERNAGEn.

